Prior to my freak-out over paying off our mortgage, we had the sort of well-stocked emergency fund that I urge everyone to build, and especially variable income having, self-employed folks like us. A full six months of months of expenses were socked away for minimal life support + a growing pot of savings for an … More Rethinking our emergency fund
We’ve been trucking along pretty well over here at Team Gilmore for about two months now, but a spiritual heaviness oppresses the land as our great cities burn. We are not immune. Violence has even cropped up in Duluth, and this sent me down the rabbit hole of Facebook and various news feeds for much … More Mental health excursion on the SHT: Spirit Mountain to the zoo.
Yesterdays ramble up the Superior Hiking Trail was entirely within Duluth’s city limits, and yet, it felt remote. All four of us were involved in pulling this one off. Being a Sunday morning, we brought the church service along in the car for the drive out and back. It can be hard for kids to … More Enchanted atop the city: SHT from Becks Rd to Magney Snively
After parking at the trailhead, we made it about 200 yards of walking on a marsh-like snowmobile trail, which the SHT borrows for the next three miles, before Josiah asked, “Can we skip this section?” Having observed that the trail’s acronym could perhaps buy a vowel to describe this segment, I readily agreed. We drove … More Superior Hiking Trail: Martin Rd to Lismore Rd. Escape from the hell hound and marshy mess.
It finally dawned on me to start creating a blog post for every hike my son and I take as we slowly push through our project of hiking the entire 310-mile Superior Hiking Trail (SHT), which runs from the Minnesota – Wisconsin border all the way up to Canada, in chunks. Not only could it … More The Ultimate Triathlon: Hike, Bike, and Pay Off Mortgage
Yesterday I sent out the following image, urgently on Instagram: To my dismay, I had discovered that my harvest had no destination. The Whole Foods Co-op and Mount Royal had ample stock to get them through to this coming Thursday, my main delivery day. I’ve been doing a small Monday harvest as a backup, so … More Brains, brawn, and commerce for a great day. Plus, a business update.
In the current economic pinch it seemed crazy to drive a 2,932-pound Prius 18 miles round-trip just so I could ski a few miles in circles. The Piedmont ski trails currently have the best classic ski conditions around, however, and my family relationships don’t do well when exercise and time outdoors are curtailed. The day … More Working through the anxiety
My first thought was, “Well, at least our prepaid bowling pass wasn’t destroyed.” Darting in and out of highway traffic, like a crow feeding on roadkill, I picked up the pieces. Asphalt. High Speeds. Trucks on the move. Add a dash of stupidity, and you’ve got a whole lot of smithereens. I never thought such … More Asphalt. Sparks. Smithereens.
When in doubt, just start at the beginning. Take one step at a time, and eventually you’ll reach your destination. For those of us who suffer from decision fatigue, this is the most practical way to get going on a project. I remind myself of this all the time. Just start at the beginning! This … More The end of the beginning
This here is a 2-pound button mushroom that we grew in our basement: I know approximately jack diddly squat about growing these things, and hadn’t wanted to deal with the freak that had been steadily expanding in cubic mass down in the cellar. I grow veggies, of course. Fungi are a mystery. Thankfully, my wife … More The fog lifts
